Tainted Light
by JumpingNightOwl
Summary: Palpatine feels a pulse in the force. Unable to let something so strong be left to chance, he sends Darth Maul to retrieve it. The ripples of his decision change not only the future of one little girl, but of the entire galaxy as well.


**Chapter One: There is no Death, there is the Force**

_Virginia City, Nevada, 1873_

"Hold on Lia! The midwife's gonna be here soon!" A blonde haired lady said to her darker companion. "Pete has to be back any minute with that old Indian lady."

"Rosie," Lia wheezed out to her friend, "I'm so tired, I can't do this."

"Yes you can, Thalia Westfield!" Rosie ordered. "Don't you dare give up now, not after all we've gone through."

Thalia closed her eyes and smiled, remembering all the times that the two saved each other from either overly-amorous drunk customers or just helping the other earn enough money for the night. "We've always been there for each other, haven't we?" Rosie nodded, tears welling up. Thalia opened her eyes and stared into her best friend's cornflower blue eyes. "Promise me that if something happens, you'll take care of my baby, Rosie." She closed her eyes as another flash of pain swept through her.

"Don't you worry none sugar, you're my spirit sister after all, and this baby is gonna grow up callin' me Aunt Rosie." Rosie tried to smile reassuringly as she squeezed Thalia's hand. "I promise, with my whole heart, that I will always be there for," The door slamming open cut off Rosie's promise, but the panicked man standing inside the doorway made Rosie smile and sigh in relief. "Thank God, Pete! Did you find the midwife?"

In reply, Pete just stood to the side and let an old Indian lady pass him into the room. She was a knarled old thing, stooping to only three feet high covered in buckskin except for the colorful shawl draped around her shoulders. In one hand she had a walking cane and in the other a basket that she immediately set down next to the girls' legs. After checking the progress of the baby under the blankets covering Thalia, the midwife took some herbs out of her basket and handed them to the still standing Pete. "No place for a man," she said, "take these and make tea to help the mother."

Pete took the herbs and fled to the kitchen, glad to be out of the birthing room.

"Now," the old midwife started, "the baby is not far off. When I say push, you push until you need breath, okay?"

Thalia nodded, too frightened and tired to say anything.

"Alright, now push!" the midwife demanded, holding a cloth to receive the baby in her hands.

Thalia pushed and pushed, wheezing and gasping through the intense pain ripping through her. Rosie held her hand through the entire experience, providing as much support as she could. Forty-three minutes later, Thalia's hard work and Rosie's patience paid off as a beautiful little girl was born.

"You did good, the baby girl is nice and healthy and has all toes and fingers." The midwife complimented as she cleared the nose and mouth of the baby.

"Hear that Lia? It's a baby girl." Rosie smiled at the new mother as she wiped her brow free of sweat.

The Indian midwife handed the newly washed baby to the mother and set about cleaning everything up.

"Joselyn," Thalia said, "my little Joselyn, named after my best friend, Roselyn." Thalia gazed into her friend's eyes. "Promise me that you'll take care of her, please?"

Rosie nodded, "Of course, I'll be with you every step of the way." Thalia just nodded and handed the baby to her eager friend as she closed her eyes and rested.

Totally focused on the baby Joselyn, Rosie didn't notice when her friend started to drop off until the midwife started shaking Thalia and calling her name. Panicking, she handed the baby back to the midwife and started shaking her best friend herself, calling her name, "Thalia! Thalia! Wake up! You can't die on me!" Thalia's breathing became labored as she used all her strength and uttered her last wish.

"Raise her for me, Rosie." Thalia gasped out before closing her eyes for the final time.

Rosie cried over her friend, not wanting to believe that her best friend was gone from this world. She cried until she heard baby Joselyn wailing as well. Wiping her eyes free of tears, she took the babe from the midwife and said, "Don't you cry now little Josie. Your momma may be gone, but I promised to take care of you, that I did." Rosie tried to smile for the baby, but it failed.

"Not to worry young one, I sense that this child has great spiritual energy. She will go far in life and make the spirits and the ancestors proud." The midwife reassured as she finished packing up and headed out the door, leaving the young lady with her new charge.

Now Rosie was able to completely smile at the baby as she left the room as well, heading for the kitchen. "Everything's gonna be alright, ya hear? Aunt Rosie's here and she's gonna make sure that you grow up to be healthy and strong, my dear little Joselyn Thalia Westfield."

**T*L**

In a completely different environment, in a galaxy far, far away, yellow eyes snapped open out of a meditative state. A cruel smile painted the person's lips as he started to plan.

_**Just trying this story out, testing the waters and all... and I didn't feel like this chapter was finished. I'm thinking people like this story, but I don't know. I still don't know if I will continue it... perhaps for my own amusement at the very least...**  
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